


The Oath

by afangirlsplaylist



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Fluff, M/M, blood oath, rhink, rhink friendship, tropetastic tuesday 15, tropetastictuesday
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-26
Updated: 2017-06-26
Packaged: 2018-11-19 07:46:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11308899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/afangirlsplaylist/pseuds/afangirlsplaylist
Summary: Rhett wants to have one last search for the blood oath, but they end up finding something else instead.





	The Oath

It was the same argument they always had whenever the blood oath was brought up. No matter how old they got and how long gone the oath was, Rhett didn’t give up on finding it. Only this time he wasn’t backing down. 

“Let’s poke around your house a little bit.” Rhett pleaded. “There’s gotta be someplace you haven’t tried.” 

“If it even still exists how do you even know I’m the one that has it?”

“Because you’re the one that keeps these things!” Rhett said in exasperation.

Link massaged his temple and breathed deeply, willing himself patience. He regretted the loss of the oath too, but there were only so many times he could face the disappointment of looking again.

“Rhett I’m telling you I’ve tried _everywhere_.” Link stressed - a definite bite to his tone now. “It’s just gone.”

“What if we’re meant to find it this time but we don’t because you’re being selfish?” Rhett spat.

Link’s shoulders tensed and he pursed his lips, before leaving the room without a word. When Link yelled and ranted he was angry and frustrated. But when he seethed silently and turned his back he was not only angry - he was disappointed and upset as well. Rhett knew him well enough to know the difference, and exactly the point he screwed up. 

He gave it a couple of minutes for him to cool down before he tentatively pushed open Link’s kitchen door, where he found him with his hands in the sink, venting by agressively scrubbing at the dishes. 

“I’m sorry.” 

Link’s hands stilled and rested on the counter, but he didn’t turn around.

“I want it back too you know.” Link told him, now drying his hands. “But it’s been decades.”

“I know,” Rhett said in understanding. “But can we do this one last time? If we don’t find it I’ll stop asking forever. Please?”

When Link continued to frown Rhett put his hand to Link’s waist, lightly tickling the sensitive area. When he felt Link trembling to try to hold back laughter he tickled harder till the shorter man was squirming.

“Okay okay!” Link gave in, unable to hide a laugh as he moved out of reach. “What are you eight?” 

“When it comes to this yes.”

Rhett said it so sincerely and his eyes were so wide and full of hope that Link couldn’t deny him. Rhett always knew how to appeal to him for something - whether it was a trip, a party or an episode idea. It was hard to say no to anything when Rhett looked at you like that.

“We can try my basement but this is the last time I’m going through it. I’m serious.” Link said firmly.

Rhett held up a hand as if to say _scouts honour,_ and led the way to Link’s basement like it was his own house. Which, considering how often he was there, it might as well be. 

For such a small basement it held huge parts of their lives, and as Rhett stepped inside he was surer than ever that if the oath still existed it would be here. He was in awe of what Link and Christy had managed to hold onto; yearbooks, post-its from a valentine’s day in college, toys, photos and piles more. But nothing that looked like an aged piece of paper.

Link immediately set to rummaging through a box on the other side of the room. Rhett amused himself by watching how Link carefully dusted and stacked each thing he pulled out, like a miner panning for gold - before he dug into a box of his own.

It was slow work. He and Link were so close that most of these trinkets meant something to him too - so he was distracted by waves of nostalgia and memories. He was so engrossed that he almost passed over a book, until he noticed the paper sticking out of the top.

He was about to call for Link when he stopped himself, becoming curious at sight of the scrawl on the page. It wasn’t the oath, but it looked like a page of some writing assignment Link had written around the same time. Rhett was half tempted to put it back in the book and give the young Link his privacy, but when he spotted his own name he couldn’t help himself.

He was even more suprised, as he read, to find that Link had mentioned him in a piece about his family.

* * *

_I don’t have a brother or sister. My step dad has kids but they aren’t really my brother and sister. I only have Rhett._

_He sticks up for me and offers me some of his lunch if I’m still hungry. He eats a lot so that means something. He’s also the tallest person I know so he gets me stuff if I can’t reach it. I wish I was as tall as him. Rhett and my mom say it’s just cause I’m younger and that I’ll be that tall soon, but I don’t believe them._

_Rhett stays at my place all the time and mom cooks him food so I guess that’s like having a brother. He already has a big brother though, so I’m not sure he thinks the same._

_I hope we’re still friends when we’re older._

* * *

Young Link had signed off the page by drawing a tall figure at the bottom of it, writing Rhett’s name in large letters beside it. Overcome with affection, Rhett traced the figure with a finger, smiling widely. 

“Link!” He called, tenderly folding the note before looking around in search of him. 

“Over here!” Link called back from behind a shelf.

Rhett followed his voice and found Link looking at what appeared to be an old school photo, unaware of Rhett standing behind him.

He yelped a little in surprise when Rhett wrapped his arms around Link’s back, hugging him tightly. "Love you, brother.”

Link smiled, patting the hands around his waist. “Love you too dude.”

But Rhett didn’t let go, nuzzling Link’s cheek with his face as he held him.

“Rhett come on, get off.” Link joked, smiling as he attempted to tug himself free from his friend’s strong arms.

“Nope. Hugging you.” Rhett retorted, clinging tighter.

Link sighed but allowed Rhett to hold him for a few moments longer before he was let go. “What was that about?”

Rhett pulled the note from his pocket, holding it out to Link. “Do you remember writing this?” 

Link took the paper and skimmed the page, his eyes lighting up with an array of fond memories. “Oh wow I barely remember that day.”

“Did you mean it?”

Link looked up from the page and raised an eyebrow.

“What you wrote.” Rhett elaborated. “Did you mean it?”

Link rolled his eyes and passed the paper back to him. “You know I did.”

Rhett pondered the man for a moment, picturing the younger Link writing this in his mind before he pulled his Link back into his chest with one arm. 

“Stop it already.” Link complained, but he hardly fought against the hug this time, quickly settling into it. 

“For the record Sue and I were definitely lying,” Rhett said against his ear. “You were never going to be as tall as me.”

“Shut up.” Link said, but Rhett could feel him smiling against his shoulder.

Taking the chance to ruffle his hand in Link’s hair like they were teens again, Rhett let him go one last time before taking the photo from his hands.

“You wanna go for a drive?” Rhett asked suddenly, pocketing the note again and setting the photo aside.

Link looked at him in surprise. “You don’t want to keep looking?”

“We don’t need it.” Rhett decided, slinging one arm around Link like he still had no plans to let him go.”We got our oath right here.” 

**Author's Note:**

> Comments are love so please leave one if you liked it :)


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